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Provisional government declares Texas independence
On this day in 1819, a provisional Texas government headed by James Long
declared independence from Spain. Long, a merchant from Natchez, was the
leader of a filibustering expedition from that city organized in the
wake of the controversial Adams-Onís Treaty. By the middle of July, he
had more than 300 men under his command and had made overtures for
assistance to Jean Laffite in Galveston. By the end of November,
however, Spanish troops had succeeded in driving the American settlers
out of Texas. The indefatigable Long withdrew to New Orleans, where he
joined forces with José Félix Trespalacios and reestablished his base at
Point Bolivar. Long soon broke with Trespalacios. He and his men
captured La Bahía in October 1820, but surrendered four days later. Long
was taken prisoner and sent to Mexico City, where he was shot and killed
by a guard reportedly in the pay of his former ally Trespalacios.
- Links to Related Handbook of Texas Online Articles
- LONG EXPEDITION
- LONG, JAMES
- LAFFITE, JEAN
- SPANISH TEXAS
- TRESPALACIOS, JOSE FELIX
- ADAMS-ONIS TREATY
- Other Texas Day by Day Articles for This Date
- Pilot Wiley Post circles the earth to make aviation history (1931)
- Monument honors Alabama Indian subchief (1990)
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